The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has called on the government and stakeholders to ensure that persons with disabilities (PWDs) are fully included in governance and national development.
The call was made on Wednesday in Kano during an event marking the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD).
Speaking at the event, CITAD’s Executive Director, Malam Y.Z. Ya’u, represented by Senior Programme Officer, Isah Garba, said the IDPD reminds everyone that inclusion is not a favor but a right.
“This celebration reminds us that inclusion is not charity; it is a right. We must work collectively to ensure that persons with disabilities participate fully in social, political, and economic life,” he said.
Garba added that CITAD would continue partnering with relevant organisations to strengthen digital inclusion and champion reforms that advance disability rights across Nigeria.
Delivering a lecture titled “Inclusive Education as a Foundation for Social Progress,” the Dean of the School of Special Education, Federal College of Education (FCE) Bichi, Dr Auwal Danlami, emphasized the importance of inclusive education in all tiers of governance.
“No society progresses when part of its population is left behind. Inclusive education is the bedrock for empowering persons with disabilities and enabling them to contribute meaningfully to national growth,” he said.